NEED TO KNOW
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued another recall for bagged, frozen shrimp on Aug. 21
- Thirteen products from Southwind Foods under various brand names may have been contaminated with radioactive isotope Cesium-137
- The bags of frozen shrimp were distributed in nine states total
Days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall for three lots of frozen raw shrimp sold at Walmart, the agency cautioned consumers about more frozen shrimp products from other brand names.
Southwind Foods of California issued a recall on Thursday, Aug. 21, for 13 shrimp products sold under the brand names Sand Bar, Best Yet, Great American, Arctic Shores and First Street, the FDA announced.
The products, distributed in nine states between July 17 and Aug. 8, may possibly be contaminated with radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137), the company announced via the FDA. The agency shared images of the products’ packaging.
The bags of frozen shrimp were distributed to retailers, distributors and wholesalers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington. The recalled products include different types of raw and cooked shrimp items from the brands, sold in multiple bag sizes and as salads.
The Environmental Protection Agency identifies Cs-137 as “a soft, flexible, silvery-white metal that becomes liquid near room temperature.”
FDA
“Traces of Cs-137 are widespread and can be present in the environment at background levels, and at higher levels in water or foods grown, raised, or produced in areas with environmental contamination,” the FDA wrote.
The organization added, “The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body.”
In the FDA’s up-to-date recall notice, the agency reiterated that it has been investigating reports of Cesium-137 contamination in both shipping containers and shrimp products supplied by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) in Indonesia, and that “no illnesses have been reported to date.”
When it announced the initial shrimp recall from Walmart on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the FDA said it was working with businesses in the U.S. that sell or distribute products from BMS Foods, and if they received shrimp products after the date Cs-137 was first detected.
At the time, Walmart issued a recall for three lots of frozen raw shrimp, determined to have low levels of the radioactive isotope, which has a half-life of about 30 years.
FDA
The recalled product was Walmart’s Great benefit brand frozen raw shrimp, with a best by date of March 15, 2027 and the following lot codes: 8005540-1, 8005538-1 or 8005539-1. The shrimp products were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.
BMS Foods was found to be in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act after the product appeared to be processed in unsanitary conditions, as the supplier was added to an import alert for chemical contamination so no further products could enter U.S. commerce for today.
Those who purchased the raw frozen shrimp from Walmart are being encouraged to “throw it away” and avoid eating or serving the product.
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